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mercredi 30 décembre 2020

LG Wing update brings much-needed improvements to the Second Screen experience

The release of the LG Wing has been nothing short of a spectacle for LG. LG’s smartphone business needed some changes, and we’re seeing that in the complete revamp of their lineup throughout 2020 with phones like the LG Velvet. But it’s not enough to just make decent phones — they need to innovate if they want to stay relevant. The LG Wing shows that the company is not afraid to still innovate even if those innovations end up being treated like gimmicks. The device is part of LG’s Explorer project, an initiative the South Korean tech giant is undertaking to design devices that offer distinctive experiences. The Wing has two screens: A main 6.8″ screen with a pretty standard rectangular aspect ratio and a second 3.9″ screen with a nearly square aspect ratio. And if you have one on Verizon in the U.S., we have good news: an OTA update is coming to your device!

The device’s slide-out display provides for a very weird, yet interesting form factor, as this secondary display can be useful for a number of things like multitasking and providing additional functionality to an app. The Snapdragon 765G behind the scenes should provide plenty of power, even when taking into account the price point compared to other devices in this range (LG is not providing amazing value here, for what it’s worth, but it’s not bad considering the innovative form factor). Since this is not a form factor we usually see on Android phones (as a matter of fact, it’s the only Android phone designed in such a way), we weren’t surprised to see a few quirks that need some post-release tweaking to address. So the newest software update that’s rolling out now adds a few new features to address these quirks.

One of these little quirks with the LG Wing’s software has been the inability to swap apps between screens. LG’s previous dual-screen phones, such as the LG Velvet, offered a swap button to do just that, but the LG Wing didn’t. At least, that is, until now. The latest software update adds a Fetch/Send button and a 3 finger gesture to move an app from one screen to another. Another new useful enhancement is the ability to see app/widget/folder names on the home screen of the Second Screen — this will make it easier to pick what apps you want to launch on the Second Screen. Lastly, the Wing will now show media controls on the second screen when you don’t have an app already opened, so you can control playback without interrupting your viewing experience.

LG Wing Forums

This update, with version number F100VM10d, is now rolling out in waves to LG Wing users on Verizon, and we expect it to hit devices very soon. As of publication, we haven’t received the update on our own LG Wing unit. This update also comes with a couple of other tweaks, including the ability to scan QR codes in the camera app, a new 5G icon, a new wallpaper, a quick preview bubble guide in the camera app, and more, so play around with the new features and let us know what you think!

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Some ROG Phone 3 and ZenFone 7 owners are having issues with HD playback in Netflix

Some owners of the ASUS ROG Phone 3 and ZenFone 7/7 Pro have discovered that their devices have lost Widevine L1 status. As a result, they’re unable to play Netflix content in HD.

Users have taken to ASUS’ forums to voice their complaints. Seems the issue has persisted over several weeks now with no signs of going away.

Widevine is a DRM technology used by many streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video to ensure that these services are being used by devices with unmodified and secure firmware.

Without Widevine L1 status, users are unable to stream videos from Netflix above 540p quality. Unfortunately, due to a bug in the SoC firmware of the ROG Phone 3 and ZenFone 7 (both are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865), the Widevine DRM level is being downgraded from L1 to L3 for a handful of users. The only way to fix this, according to ASUS, is for the affected users to ship their devices to ASUS so they can re-provision them.

ASUS released a statement regarding the issue:

“Asus is aware of this issue which affect a small number of users and is caused by a bug from our SOC vendor Qualcomm,” ASUS said. “If this has happened we urge you to contact Asus customer service in your region.”

Some users in the forums have stated that after getting their phone fixed, the issue has reared its head again.

“I have this issue happened to me after that service center resolved my issue but the issue happened to me AGAIN today,” user yashpandya295 said in the ASUS forums. “So I have to visit service center again.”

For what it’s worth, we checked our ROG Phone 3 and ZenFone 7 review units and our Widevine level hasn’t been downgraded. To check your own Widevine DRM level, download the DRM Info app.

DRM Info (Free, Google Play) →

The post Some ROG Phone 3 and ZenFone 7 owners are having issues with HD playback in Netflix appeared first on xda-developers.



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The OnePlus 8 Pro is $200 off again, so don’t miss out on this hefty discount a second time

That’s right, November’s great sale on the OnePlus 8 Pro is available again! A part of OnePlus’s year-end sales event, save $200 on the powerful flagship phone at OnePlus, getting the phone for just $800. While the phone’s price dipped slightly lower on Black Friday weekend, the $799 price point is one of the best we’ve seen for the smartphone.

You don’t have long to take advantage of this sale, either! OnePlus’s latest sale ends tomorrow night, so when it’s 2021, this discount is done. It’s hard to tell when OnePlus will put the OnePlus 8 Pro on that kind of sale again next, either. While rumors have been afoot for the OnePlus 9 Pro since last month, there’s no telling when the phone will launch, and it’s unclear whether the 9 series upgrade will be worth it over the 8 series, particularly the 8T and the 8 Pro.

And, frankly, the OnePlus 8 Pro is a powerful phone. I picked the smartphone up for myself in November to place my aging LG V40, and I’m continually impressed by how good the 8 Pro is. It’s blazingly fast with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor and hasn’t had difficulty running even the most intense games. Also, I’m not sure if it’s the connectivity technology or the upgrade to 5G, but I’m finally able to get cell signal in my bedroom, virtually the house’s dreaded ‘dead zone’. I no longer need to leave the house to make a phone call! Oh, and of course, I can take beautiful pictures of my cat. You need to focus on the important things in life, right?

Not to mention that XDA gave the OnePlus 8 Pro a glowing review earlier in the year too. Give it a read if you’re not convinced! If you are, though, don’t sleep on this deal and pick up your 8 Pro now!

    OnePlus 8 Pro
    Available in Onyx Black, Ultramarine Blue, and Glacial Green, the OnePlus 8 Pro is currently on sale for $799! Head over to OnePlus's page for the smartphone and grab yourself the flagship before the sale ends tomorrow night.

Make sure to check OnePlus’s main page to see what else they have on offer!

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ASUS begins global rollout of Android 11 update for ZenFone 6

A few months ago, ASUS began testing a beta version of Android 11 for the ZenFone 6. Now, the company has begun the rollout for a stable version of Android 11 to ZenFone 6 owners around the world.

Today’s rollout follows the recent release of Android 11 for the ZenFone 6 in Taiwan. The update is filled with plenty of new features that come with Android 11, plus some of ASUS’ own ideas.

Here’s the full changelog:

  1. Upgraded system to Android 11 on ZenFone 6
  2. Please back up your data before upgrading to Android 11. If you need to go back Android 10,please refer to the official website that remeber it will erase all data from your device.
  3. Some 3rd party apps are not compatible with Android 11.
  4. Removed Private Listening, ZenUI Help, and one hand mode
  5. Integrated PowerMaster features into Battery Settings. Removed Avast scanning engine.
  6. Removed Smart group, Icon alignment and Icon packs functions in Launcher. Allowed to organize app icons across screens after tapping empty area
  7. Implement new ZenUI design and features
  8. Improvement of the Quick Settings panel design, and support media control. Removed Multi-window tile and added Nearby Share tile (Need to add manually)
  9. “Auto-download and install via Wi-Fi” is always on in System when upgraded.
  10. Support navigation gestures for 3rd-party launcher.

Many of the new features on the ZenFone 6 are related to design, including a new ZenUI design and the removal of Smart group functionality in Launcher. The Quick Settings panel has also been tweaked, providing users with a better experience.

According to ASUS, the software is rolling out in batches, so it may take a few days for you to see the update. To check if Android 11 is available for your ZenFone 6, head to Settings > System > System Update.

If you own the ZenFone 6 on T-Mobile in the U.S., a recent update enabled VoLTE on the device. ASUS recommends you back up your device before updating to Android 11.

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Chainfire’s LiveBoot app is now open source and works on Android 11

We’ve talked about LiveBoot in the past and how it tweaks the default boot animation of your Android device by adding logcat and dmesg logging (bringing the good old Matrix digital rain vibe). Made by none other than XDA legend Chainfire, the creator of SuperSU, this incredibly innovative app has now received a new update after a brief hiatus. The update bumps the app version to 1.84 and finally makes it compatible with Android 11.

Apart from adding Android 11 support, Chainfire has also made LiveBoot fully open source, including the low-level library named libCFSurface that it makes use of. The library allows direct SurfaceFlinger access as root, which could be useful to get anything on-screen when Android itself isn’t fully loaded.

If you’re interested in trying out the app on your device, you can download the updated version from the Google Play Store or grab the APK from the application thread linked below for manually sideloading. In case you want to take a look at the codebase and play with it, you can visit the project’s GitHub repository.

LiveBoot XDA Thread

[root] LiveBoot (Free+, Google Play) →

Another one of Chainfire’s popular applications is called CF.lumen, and it too just received a new update with version number 3.74 to add support for Android 11. For those not familiar with CF.lumen, it adapts the colors on your Android device based on the position of the sun or based on your custom configuration. However, according to the developer, only the compatibility mode driver of CF.lumen currently works under Android 11, and that too with the root-only mode.

Here’s the official changelog for CF.lumen v3.74:

  • (c) 2020
  • Remove references to G+
  • Android 11 support
  • Android 10+: Show warning about notification options not working
  • Android 10+: Disable rootless mode
  • Android 10+: Disable advanced/injection/anti-flicker/performance driver (needs further investigation to make work)
  • Add foreground service permission
  • Built for API 29
  • Fix notification spam issue
  • Fix maps crashing

CF.lumen XDA Thread

CF.lumen (Free+, Google Play) →

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Here’s how OnePlus aims to improve OxygenOS in 2021

Despite the challenges of 2020, OnePlus had one of its busiest years ever, releasing a huge lineup of new products highlighted by the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus Nord. As the company looks toward the new year, it took a moment to shed some light on how it plans to improve OxygenOS in 2021.

In a forum post on Wednesday, OnePlus reflected on the last 12 months, highlighting the success of its Open Ears Forums, which allows the company to open a direct dialog with users about OxygenOS. The post talks about some of the things OnePlus users inspired the company to develop, like automatic theme switching and a refreshed shelf design.

But there are more improvements on the way, which we’ve summarized here:

Camera

  • Work in progress to optimize inconsistency between lens and AWB
  • Fixed HDR portrait halo – Done (Need to upgrade to HDR4.0)
  • Adding smart capture when shooting kids – Already under closed beta testing

Audio & Accessories

  • Will keep optimizing sound tweaking
  • Active noise reduction is under evaluation

Gaming

  • Add additional IM apps to quick reply gaming tool feature
  • Work to bring high-refresh-rate and haptic feedback to other community-favorite games
  • Bring FPS rate and other stats to Game Space while gaming

Of course, this is just a small sampling of what the company has planned for 2021. There will, of course, always be new features in the works that we probably don’t know about yet. OnePlus regularly solicits feedback from the community for OxygenOS, with initiatives like OEF and IDEAS, which has helped launch features like Always-on Display (AOD), folders within the app drawer, and more.

Outside of OxygenOS, OnePlus reportedly has big plans for the beginning of next year. The company previously confirmed plans to finally release a smartwatch, while the OnePlus 9 has leaked on a few different occasions. Meanwhile, a recent report claimed the company is planning to launch its first fitness wearable that could retail for just $40.

With new features in the works for OxygenOS and several rumored devices, there’s a lot to look forward to if you’re a OnePlus fan.

Thanks to XDA Member Some_Random_Username for the tip!

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OnePlus Band rumored to be a $40 fitness wearable set to release in early 2021

It won’t be much longer before OnePlus finally releases a smartwatch, with the company recently confirming a device is planned for early next year. Turns out the company is also planning to launch an affordable fitness tracker slated for release in Q1 2021.

According to Android Central, citing insider sources, the OnePlus Band will be available in either January or February and launch before the rumored OnePlus 9. Apparently, the fitness band is being modeled after the Xiaomi Mi Band 5 — and to compete the OnePlus Band will be priced at just $40.

Xiaomi-Mi-Band-5-on-wrist-with-display-on

A photo of the Mi Band 5 from our review

The OnePlus Band will allegedly feature water resistance, an AMOLED display, and multi-day battery life. We don’t know what the wearable will look like, but since it’s apparently taking inspiration from the Mi Band 5, we can likely expect something similar. To be fair, most fitness wearables look pretty much the same.

The OnePlus Band is said to be part of a broader strategy from OnePlus to cater to a wider spectrum of consumers, according to Android Central. Think OnePlus 8T and OnePlus Nord, with the devices catering to very different segments of the market.

With the OnePlus Band, OnePlus is emulating a similar strategy that we’ve seen with the manufacturer’s phone business. The upcoming OnePlus smartwatch will be aimed at upmarket buyers, and like the Nord, the OnePlus Band will be catered to the budget segment.

Android Central claims the OnePlus Band will debut in India for ₹3,000 ($40), making the price competitive with the Mi Band 5, which retails for ₹2,499 ($33). It’s unclear if the wearable will launch in other markets, but OnePlus has seen a lot of success in India, where it exclusively sells its TV. We could potentially see a similar approach.

If today’s report about the OnePlus Band are true, the company will be very busy to kick off the new year, with a high-end smartphone and two wearables. With January just around the corner, we should know more about what OnePlus has planned very soon.

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